crew cut

noun

1. a haircut in which the hair is very closely cropped, with some extra length on top. Compare buzzcut ( def ).

crew cut

noun

1. a closely cropped haircut for men, originating in the US

Other Words From

• crew-cut crew·cut adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crew cut¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Word History and Origins

Origin of crew cut¹

C20: from the style of haircut worn by the boat crews at Harvard and Yale Universities

Idioms and Phrases

A closely cropped haircut, usually for a male, as in The boys all think crew cuts are cooler in summer . This term presumably originated in the navy ( crew referring to a ship's crew), where such a haircut was mandatory. [c. 1940]

Example Sentences

And things seemed fine between the couple, with the crooner appearing sober and healthier-looking, with a new crew cut.

From The Daily Beast

Like countless other boys in Massapequa, he had a crew cut and wore Keds sneakers and T-shirts with horizontal stripes.

From The Daily Beast

The placard was illustrated with a black-and-white photograph of a crew-cut astronaut wearing a monkey around his neck.

From The Daily Beast

With his crew-cut close, receding blond hair and stoic face, he looks like a cross between Daniel Craig and Vladimir Putin.

From The Daily Beast

Lieutenant Tokugawa Nariaki was an average-sized, sleepy-looking individual with a balding crew cut and a morose expression.

From Project Gutenberg

"You win," he grinned, running calloused fingers through his greying crew-cut.

From Project Gutenberg

Five minutes later he stepped into the galley, his dark, crew-cut hair still damp.

From Project Gutenberg

Rakoff's dead-white cheeks never stirred and his stiff blond hair stood up in a rigid crew cut.

From Project Gutenberg

He turned to a burly youth with sun-bleached, crew-cut hair, "Still safe, Frank?"

From Project Gutenberg